Talking-machine.



W. H. PUMPHREY.

TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, 1911.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

N PN WALTER H. PUMPHREY, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

TALKING-MACHIN E.

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVALTER H. PUM- PHREY, a citizen of the United States of erica, residing at New York city, in the borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Talking-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to talking machines and more particularly to the construction and mountingof the sound-conveying tube or tone-arm employed in connection with such machines. 7

Theobject of the invention is to simplify the construction and dispense with small parts in mounting the. tonearm and at the same time "we it the required freedom of movement in planes parallel and at right angles to the surface of the record. 7 The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate several forms suitable for carrying my invention into efl'ect. I wish it understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the exact constructions shown in the drawings, as various changes may be made therein within the meaning of the present invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the application of my improved form of mounting to a modern talking machine. Fig. 2 is a detail portion of a casing sectional. view illustrating another form.

which my invention may assume.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a or cabinet in which the machine is usually contained.

'2 is a rotating table, carrying a sound record of the disk type. Cooperating with the record there is a reproducing sound-box 4, from which a sound-conveying tube or tone-arm leads and serves to connect the sound-box or reproducer with a horn 5.

As the novelty of the resent invention lies in the construction and mounting of the tone-arm, the description will be coniinedto that feature, which i adapted for use with many types of mar? other than that here illustrated. The tone arm, as shown, is a sectional arm, consisting of two parts or members 6 and 7. The member 6 pr main section thereof may be of uniform nt-ernal Specification of Letters Patent. Appiication filed March 17, 1911.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914. Serial no. 615,018.

diameter throughout its length, if desired,

the main angles to each other or parallel and at right .angles to the surface of the record' The main section 6 is maintained upright or aga nst sl pping or falling sidewise, by 0ppositely disposed side lugs 10, which bear on the upper edge of the section 7. The vertical movement of the main section is like wise limited by front and back lugs 11 and 12 which, when the sound-box or reproduce'r is raised or lowered, as indicated by'dotted lines in Fig. 1, coact with the upper edge of the section 7.

Heretofore, a spring catch of suitable form has been employed to yieldingly hold the sound-box elevated above and clear of the record, and itis one of the objects of the present invention to dispense with the use of such a catch, as a separate device, andf'cause its function to be performed by .a member or part "below referred to, in addition to the main function of such part.

The main section of the tone-arm, mounted as above described, rests by its own weight in the spherical seat or bearin pro vided in the adjoining section 7 and in order to 'operatively connect these sections in assembled relation, a helical. or other suitable form of spring 13 is secured, preferably in the line 14, 1 1-, of the vertical axis of the section 6, one end of the spring being attached to the section 6 at'the point 15 and the opposite end thereof the section 7. The manner of attaching the spring may be varied and suitable-provision made to avoid torsional action. as 'thetonearm swin about its vertical axis.

Normally, that is when the sound-box is' cooperating or in osition to cooperate with the record, the spring is practicallydead so to a cross pin 16 of s a v iaras t-s influence on the sound-box is coning to ccrned, as its pull is in the line of centers, indicated by the vertical turning axis 14, 14, and while it draws the main section of the tone-arm into close contact or engagement with its bearing in the section 7, it does not inanywise appreciably limit or affect the freedom of movement of the sound-box. If, however, it is desired to yieldingly hold the sound-box against the record, this may be readily done by attaching the upper end of the spring somewhat to the left of the vertical axis 1a, 14. \Vhen the sound-box or reproducer is swung upward, clear of the record, to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 1, with the rear stop lug of section-6 engaging the edge of the section 7, the pull of the spring will be in the line 17, 17, to the right of the horizontal turning axis 18, andbeing thus shifted to one side of the center (18) the spring will yieldingly maintain the sound-box in the position described, performing this function, for which a spring catch is ordinarily employed, as-above stated, in addition to its main function of operatively connecting the tone-arm sections. a

While I have shown only one spring, it will be understood that two or more may be employed if desired and arranged in various ways to produce the result described.

In the modification.illustrated in Fig. 2, the helical spring is in the form of a ring 20, having an internal diameter somewhat less than the greatest external diameter of the spherical end of thetone-arm section 6 andso arranged in an annular seat 21 in the section 7 a as to yieldingly oppose entrance therein of such spherical portion of the section 6*. The section 7 iscounter-bored to provide an annular shoulder 2-2, corresponding to the upper edge of the spherical hearing and on which'the side lugs l0'rest, as in Figs. 1 and 2. Front and rear lugs'23 and 24: are employed, as above described, to limit the vertical swing of the section 6 carrying the sound-box but in'this instance, the lugs 'co-aet' directly with the spring to maintain the sound-box above and clear of the record, as indicated. by dotted lines in the figure (3). The sections, in this form of the invention, are assembled by forcing the spherical end of section 6 through the spring ring .in section 7". Under this pressure, the ring expands and permits passage of the spherical portion to its bearing below and immediately thereafter the spring ring contracts, yieldingly.

force it downward to a bearing in the seat below The frontlug 23 also passes through the springjring and in co-acting with the annular shoulder 22' positively limits downward movement of the soundboX. When the sound-box is swung upward to the position indicated by dotted lines, the front lug is forced upward and the rear lug downward through the spring ring,

gripping the section 7 and. actwhich latter yieldingly opposes the return thereof to normal position and thereby maintains the soundbox levated above and clear of the record. Excessive upward movement of the sound-box which would tend to disconnect the sections of the tone-arm, is preyented by the rear lug 24, which co-acts with the annular shoulder, and positively-limits such excessive movement. To prevent the spring ring being accidentally forced out of the annular containing groove, a ring of wire may be employed in connection there with, as indicated at 25, such wire ring being preferably of slightly greater diameter than the opening at the upper end of the section 7.

The section 7 of the tone arm is preferably secured fast to the casing of the machine and has a depending'portion 26 which projects downward through an opening in a part1-v tion 27, to receive the small end 28 of the horn, or connect with other suitable sound amplifying means.

The operation, manner of assembling and disconnecting the parts, as well as the many important advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description.

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claim:

1; In a talking machine, the combination of a hollow tone-arm composed of a plu-' rality of sections united by a universal joint, whereby both vertically and horizontally with relation to the other section, andan interior spring acting to hold the movable sect-ion in both operative and elevated position.

2. In a talking machine, a tone-arm composed of' a plurality of hollow sections united together by a universal joint whereby one of the sections is capable of movement both vertically and horizontally with relation to the other section, and an interior spring reacting between the sections to hold them together and to retain the movable section elevated when adjusted into that posit-ion.

3. In a talking machine, a tone-arm composed of a plurality of hollow sections united by a universal joint whereby one of the sections is capable of movement around vertical and horizontal axes with relation to the other section, and a spring. within the hollow sections connected to each of thesecaxis of the movable section, whereby said one section is capable-of moving '120 tions and normally lying within the vertical springholds the sections together, and also I holds the movable section in either the. op-

erative or elevated position, as it may be adjusted V 4. In a talking machine, a tone arm composed of a plurality of hollow sections united by a universal joint whereby one of the sections is capable of movement around.

holds the sections I vertical and horizontal axes with relation to gether and also holds the movable sec'tion'in the other section, and a s within the either the o erative or elevated position as hollow sections lying wit the vertical it may be a justed. axis of the movable section and having one WALTER H. PUMPHREY. and eonnected to said movable section and" Witnesses:

the other end to said stationary. section Cm'nnsxr- W. JEWM v M. G; CRAWFORD.- 

